Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1887-04-03

Thrill men lcAftb VIII Htblt Wofu5s
with right brave speech. He could
guess how tcnderly il would whisper
love--in broken murmura soft as q
baby's caresses, with many "pitiful
sweet sound, like birds sigh," as II
wayered with spent breath.
The vnlse in the ballroom was will
ing in the long-drawn sweetness OF its
death as they passed into the conserve
tory. and as they sat dswn in the dreamy
half.darkness of the place, the heavy
breath Of flowers filing the air with
fragrance, and sad music floating from
afar to them and fading slowly into
silence, John Anthony McArdle felt
that the die was cast. He had found
his love.
"Why did you choose to isolate your
self in that savage region where found
you ?" he said.
"Ycu mean the drawing-room +?
Well, one reason was that don't care
much for the people they have at this
place-the men, mean"
81 thought they were rather above
the average. Mrs. Mayhem likes to
have clever people, and very few ordi-
nary folk-like myself"
Eyes, but that is just the reason.
She has painters and actors and writers
and people like that. But they aren't
the good ones. Generally half ANA
teurs, you know--painters who can't
paint, and writers who cant write"
eyes But they are much the same
to talk to, aren't they, as the good
ones?" ,Nr
"Oh, no, they're not. They will talk
about their art, or their books, or their
new part. The good ones don't. They
just talk like anybody else. Now there's
man coming in-see, with that pink
girl, who looks like one OF these sham
artists.
"You mean the tall fellow Dark? ,
eyes. Why does he wear his hair so
long, and have his clothes hang on him
any way? He must be one of these
wretched poets. Now, don't see"
said little Miss Norbury, in positive
fashion, "why he couldn't write poetry
Just as well with his hair cut and clean
collar on. He's nice-looking, too"
appraising him with calmly critical
eyes. mot exactly handsome, but
nice. II he only would-what are you
laughing for ?"
"Forgive me. But if you only knew
him That's Bill Rafter, a particular
friend of mine, and he couldn't write
line Of poetry to save his life. He's in
a bank, and he'd rather have a pipe and
a game OF billiards than Shakespeare
and the lot Of them put together"
81 apologize to him. But then his
harp"
"Oh, that's within of his. He never
has it cut during spell of cold weather.
SAYS it gives him cold in his head, and
be can't tell whether he's smoking La
takia or hsy-seed. As soon as we have
few mild days he takes it of. "
"Hemust be sensible, too. Like You,
she said
"And I'm senible, am r."
eyes. And you're going to tell me
those things l asked you about law.
Please"
1t was impossible-witnessing the
childish confidence with which this re-
quest was made, and the bewitching
way in which she gathered up together
her small self into a comfortable atti-
tude of listening, so as to acquire legal
knowledge with the least amount of ex-
ertion-to do anything but straighta-
way set forth on the devious path Of
explanation. He did his best to
popularize the Grabbed TECHNICAL
ties that beset the path of the arti-
cled clerk, to let her behind the
scenes in the drama of legal mysteries,
wherein the unwary client is involved
in may complications from which ex-
trication is impossible save by time
and acknowledgements. He grew
earnest in his discourse under the
stimulus of the blue eyes that were al
ways fixed on him with an attentive
seriousness in them. Many things she
learned of the law of entail, OF fines
and recoveries many curious particu-
lars as to tenures and services, aids and
homages, and such like details of the
feudal system. A feeling of confidence
grew up between them as he pro-
gressed a sympathy in virtue of mu.
tual knowledge. He grew more and
more under the spell of her winsome-
ness, and though his tongue spoke but
of rent services and oaths OF fealty, his
eyes were eloquent of dearer tribute,
Of more tender vows. At last he
Thought it time to get back from the
Middle Ages, and, coming by way OF
the customs of wardship and the hard
ships of the medieval maiden who ven
tured to love where her lord approved
not, to arrive at less impersonal topics.
$50, you see, there wasn't much
freedom of action in those days" he
wound up. cts better to be in the
nineteenth century, even ii we do have
fogs. Though we are, it may be, just
as much hampered now as then-in
another way"
"How She was still acquiescent,
listening.
"By customs and traditions and So
ciety rules. BY the grooves we have
got to live in. One is born in GER
tain position and lives in it. One has
to DO certain things and wear certain
clothes, and even have ones hair
cut he glanced at her, smiling
certain way"
"That is so" she admitted.
"But is that right? Tell me, Miss
Norbury don't You think it is better,
nobler, to fling aside the shackles ? To
escape from the wearisome monotony
of society, the everlasting mill-horse
round-the trivialities that we call our
social duties, and the strpidities that
we call our social pleasures To get
out of the groove?
"That depends on what the groove
is" said she staidly. 1t may suit
one, and be very smooth and COM
Portable groove.
"Suit one? The man whom
groove suits will never even think OF
getting out OF it. But its being smooth
and comfortable is surely no reason for
remaining dormant in it. If there be
any merit in breaking loose from con-
ventionality at all, in striving upward
to purer, wider field Of labor, fuller
hving-it is the greater because OF the
feshpots left behind in Egypt. If one
be worthless, discreditable in society,
ones leaving it is no sacrifice. 1t is
only anticipating a necessity. But
if" He stopped for a moment,
wanting words, and drew little nearer
to her. AS he went on his voice,
l. ~. 4